All-Star Western | DC Comics

(Everybody’s Talkin’ About) DC Comics-The New 52, Friday Afternoon (ET) Edition

IGN continued their series of interviews with all of the creative teams behind DC Comics-The New 52. This time around, they caught up with Peter Milligan (JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK), Gail Simone and Ethan Van Sciver (THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN), and Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti (ALL-STAR WESTERN). “Our goal with Gotham was to make it less of a backdrop and more of a living, breathing character,” Gray explained of his book’s setting. “Placing Jonah Hex there, a man used to wide open spaces and solitude only helps his character and the mythology of Gotham.”

COMIC BOOK RESOURCES interviewed ACTION COMICS writer Grant Morrison. “Part of this first story arc shows how he goes from being an outlaw to the world's first superhero,” Morrison said of Superman. “It's very much about that and about the pressures that would be placed on you if you had this bright idea that you were going to change the world.”

And speaking of COMIC BOOK RESOURCES, head on over to their site to check out their exclusive preview of RED LANTERNS #2.

To be continued …

Tags:

action comics, All-Star Western, comic book resources, DC Comics-The New 52, Ethan Van Sciver, gail simone, grant morrison, IGN, jimmy palmiotti, Justice League Dark, justin gray, peter milligan, red lanterns, The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men

(Everybody’s Talkin’ About) DC Comics-The New 52, Tuesday Afternoon (ET) Edition

Tomorrow sees the release of the final first issues from DC Comics-The New 52 and coverage is a-buzzin’. Check out some of the press highlights from the past 24 hours.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL’S SPEAKEASY BLOG broke the news this afternoon that all 52 titles in DC Comics-The New 52 sold out in advance of publication and have gone back for additional printings. Be sure to check out their coverage for more details on specific sales numbers and for an exclusive first look at Greg Capullo’s variant cover for THE FLASH #2.

With AQUAMAN #1 hitting stores tomorrow, series writer Geoff Johns was interviewed by various outlets. "I think it's a great time to try Aquaman,” Johns told COMIC BOOK RESOURCES. “It's a great challenge to see if we can make the character captivating for people. I just really find him interesting. What makes him cool is the challenge of making him cool, because he is Aquaman!"

“I think that he's the ultimate underdog to me. I think that's a good thing,” Johns said of his series’ protagonist to NEWSARAMA. “He's underestimated by everybody, except Mera. Balancing the perception of what Aquaman is, and trying to break that perception, is what the book's all about."

TRUE WEST has the exclusive preview of ALL-STAR WESTERN #1, by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Moritat, which sets Jonah Hex in 19th century Gotham City.

And if you want to travel to outer space, NEWSARAMA has your exclusive first look at GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS by Tony Bedard, Tyler Kirkham and Batt.

To be continued …

Tags:

All-Star Western, aquaman, batt, comic book resources, DC Comics-The New 52, Geoff Johns, Green Lantern: New Guardians, Greg Capullo, jimmy palmiotti, jonah hex, justin gray, moritat, Newsarama, Speakeasy Blog, the flash, tony bedard, True West, tyler kirkham, wall street journal

From The Editor’s Desk: Joey Cavalieri

Maybe I have a little too much of what might be termed “peripheral vision.” As much as I enjoy the comics that carry the thrust of the “mainstream,” I tend to follow whatever flows off the main stem to see where they may lead. I like the periphery, the left field, the off-beat, the eccentric. Show me an edge and I’ll sail off it.

I’ve been very lucky: I’ve been able to work on a lot of comics that had a reputation for straying from the pack. That streak of luck has continued with DC Comics-The New 52.

Have you heard about ANIMAL MAN yet? It’s already garnering a reputation for being different from the pack. I’ve read a lot of comic books, and I’ve never seen anything like what Travel Foreman is putting into his pages. He’s clearly inspired by the scripts he’s getting from Jeff Lemire, in which Buddy Baker … and his whole family … are forced to confront strange new worlds they never counted on seeing in their lifetimes.

Jeff’s also behind FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. This is a far cry from Mary Shelley’s monster: he’s now a secret agent for the Super Human Advanced Defense Executive, wielding a sword against monsters ten times as ugly and formidable as he is. Alberto Ponticelli’s been drawing this, and he and Jeff seem to be in a friendly competition: the more insane the concept, the more Alberto tries to one-up him in the visual department. A thousand monsters in a panel? A city in a globe? A strange new incarnation of Father Time? The ideas fly between them pretty fast, and the results are astounding!

When you see J.G. Jones’ electrifying covers on MISTER TERRIFIC, you’ll know we’re going for a vibe you won’t find just anywhere. Eric Wallace has hotwired the adventures of the World’s Third Smartest Man, keeping one of Michael Holt’s feet firmly planted in the Ninth Dimension and the other in the chaotic California of the DCU. It’s super-science with the volume cranked all the way up, and Gianluca Gugliotta’s pencils make the otherworldly concepts seem really incredibly otherworldy!

Ivan Brandon’s one of the brightest guys currently working, and I was eager to see what he come up with for the new Sgt. Rock. He didn’t disappoint. The book is set in contemporary times against contemporary landscapes, but with a twist: it’s set in the DC Universe. It’s a race to see who outstrips whom: MEN OF WAR or the headlines. Tom Derenick keeps things earthy and real with his approach to the art.

Also confronting a new landscape is Jonah Hex. Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray have dropped him in the middle of a world beyond his understanding: Gotham City. If you’ve checked out Moritat’s work on THE SPIRIT, you’ll know what dizzying heights of draftsmanship he’s capable of … and they’re all on display in ALL-STAR WESTERN. These are all singular reading experiences, as far from the norm as we could make them!

Both the war and Western books also have some room to test out new concepts, as they’re all slightly larger than the rest of mags. We’d like to know what you think of ‘em, so like everything else, write and let us know. I read all the mail, and that’s me writing the letter columns for the books, so for these and for the upcoming MY GREATEST ADVENTURE, don’t spare us. Write us!

Tags:

All-Star Western, animal man, DC Comics-The New 52, Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E., joey cavalieri, Men of War, Mister Terrific, My Greatest Adventure

Teasing DC Comics-The New 52: "I don't know nothin' about the Gotham Butcher"

“I swear to God I don’t know nothin’ about the Gotham Butcher.”

– Patron at a saloon in ALL-STAR WESTERN #1

Tags:

All-Star Western, DC Comics-The New 52, Gotham Butcher

THE EDGE Group Solicits

STORMWATCH #4

Written by PAUL CORNELL

Art and cover by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA

On sale DECEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The earth is being eaten alive! As the unstoppable alien antibody continues consuming everything in its path, Stormwatch awakens a slumbering [information redacted] buried deep within the earth. But has the team found an ally or a threat greater than the antibody? However it plays out, the DC landscape literally will be changed forever! Plus: Don’t miss a major change to the Stormwatch roster!

DEATHSTROKE #4

Written by KYLE HIGGINS

Art by JOE BENNETT and ART THIBERT

Cover by SIMON BISLEY

On sale DECEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

Deathstroke incarcerated! As the world’s fiercest mercenary is shipped off to a metahuman prison, Slade uncovers a new wrinkle in his quest to root out the forces working to manipulate him – and the Blackhawks may be a part of it! Also, what exactly is in the briefcase? The answer will shock you!

GRIFTER #4

Written by NATHAN EDMONDSON

Art by SCOTT CLARK and DAVE BEATY

Cover by CAFU and JASON GORDER

On sale DECEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Seattle is known for coffee, clouds, and Q-Core. Grifter’s struggle has led him to the headquarters of a hero, but not without a few surprises along the way. Just when the gun-wielding con man thinks he’s gotten the upper hand in his situation, he realizes he’s put himself in the center of the bull’s-eye! Guest-starring Green Arrow!

VOODOO #4

Written by RON MARZ

Art by SAMI BASRI

Cover by JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER

On sale DECEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T+

The mysterious Voodoo has left destruction in her wake since fleeing New Orleans. Her nemesis Special Agent Fallon remains hot on her trail as she heads for Metropolis…and Fallon isn’t the only one, as a new, third player enters the hunt.

SUICIDE SQUAD #4

Written by ADAM GLASS

Art by FEDERICO DALLACCHIO

Cover by DAN PANOSIAN

On sale DECEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

The body count rises! Another Squad member falls – but not the way you might expect! Betrayal follows betrayal as Captain Boomerang joins the Squad in a smash-and-grab against the terrorist organization Kobra, and Harley Quinn shows why you should never, ever recruit Squad members from Arkham Asylum. Brace yourself for a last-page shocker the likes of which the Squad has never faced before!

O.M.A.C. #4

Written by DAN DIDIO and KEITH GIFFEN

Art and cover by KEITH GIFFEN and SCOTT KOBLISH

On sale DECEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Kevin Kho finally makes it back home – but while trying to pull the pieces of his life back together, he inadvertently disconnects from Brother Eye! Unfortunately, Kevin’s freedom comes with a price, because now he’s alone and forced to defend himself against Checkmate and their lethal Bio-gators!

BLACKHAWKS #4

Written by MIKE COSTA

Art by GRAHAM NOLAN and TREVOR SCOTT

Cover by KEN LASHLEY

On sale DECEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T

The Blackhawks have a brutal, apocalyptic showdown in the Eyrie against their newest, most dangerous foe. Meanwhile, Canada and Wildman enact a desperate plan to escape their captors...but escape to where?

MEN OF WAR #4

Written by IVAN BRANDON and B. CLAY MOORE

Art by TOM DERENICK and PAUL McCAFFREY

Cover by VIKTOR KALVACHEV

On sale DECEMBER 7 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+

Easy Company wrestles with the betrayal of one of their own, as each man processes Kobra’s secret in his own way. But the company must forge ahead, marching into unknown enemy territory – while an ancient evil lies waiting in a salty haze. Will this be the end for Rock and his men?

Plus: A team of mecha fans turned engineers have built the hardware of their dreams, but will it work out the way it always does in the movies?

ALL-STAR WESTERN #4

Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI

Art by MORITAT and PHIL WINSLADE

Cover by LADRONN

On sale DECEMBER 28 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+

The trail of a missing child from a wealthy family leads Jonah Hex and Amadeus Arkham into the watery catacombs of Gotham City’s still-under-construction sewer system – but will they survive the many dangers that lurk in those twisty depths? Also: introducing the Barbary Ghost, a fireworks wielding mistress of vengeance, stalking San Francisco’s criminal underworld.

Tags:

All-Star Western, Blackhawks, deathstroke, Grifter, Men of War, O.M.A.C., Stormwatch, suicide squad, Voodoo

DC Comics All Access: Eddie Berganza

Bienvenido to Week Dos of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 and the excitement keeps building.

I have to say one of the best perks of being the Executive Editor of the DCU as the New 52 had its genesis was sitting down with Co-Publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee, Group Editors Mike Marts and Matt Idelson, VP of Art Direction and Design Mark Chiarello and Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras in our “War Room” with a photo of George C. Scott from Dr. Strangelove taped on the door. In this tiny, windowless (and almost airless – I know, doesn’t sound like much of a perk) room, we devised who would do what in the New 52. On the wall, we shifted around index cards that had series titles to be matched with separate cards for both a writer and artist (color-coded by Coordinating Editor Elisabeth Gehrlein, who was also in attendance). It was exciting, thrilling and sometimes frustrating, but ultimately rewarding as we assembled a creative team for each and ever book. Some were no-brainers: GREEN LANTERN … uh, Geoff Johns with Dough Mahnke. Duh.

Other pairings were inspired, like FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.HA.D.E. The title alone had moxie. We felt the right man to steer Frank’s adventures would be Jeff Lemire, who had already done an amazing job writing the patchwork man’s adventures during FLASHPOINT. Jeff’s take on the character infused him with a lot of heart (albeit someone else’s heart). Jeff also suggested tapping series artist Alberto Ponticelli. And oh man, Alberto’s a master with monsters and wild settings, not to mention an incredible storyteller. I love Father Time (so will you once you read it)!

As we got going, we started to see what other genres we could explore. The sky was not even the limit, nor was time. We headed from the Dark Ages with Paul Cornell and Diogenes Neves’ DEMON KNIGHTS to looking to get back to the future with LEGION LOST along with Fabian Nicieza and Pete Woods. Demon or Legion fan or not, just know these books will affect the present of the DCU; then (coming in Week 4) get ready to ride into the Wild West in gritty Gotham City with Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Moritat; and walk the modern- day bloody streets of Boston in I, VAMPIRE by Joshua Hale Fialkov and Andrea Sorrentino.

Like kids in a candy store, we were all excited by each new prospect. SUPERNATURAL writer Adam Glass writing SUICIDE SQUAD! DEATHSTROKE and MR. TERRIFIC getting their own books! But one of the real treats for me (aside from JUSTICE LEAGUE) was Dan DiDio’s suggestion to bring back RESURRECTION MAN, a book I had originally edited. Reunited with the undying Mitch Shelley’s original creators Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, now joined with the artistic talent of Fernando Dagnino, we were all ready to kill, killa again!

We’ve had our fun, and now it’s time to share. And with all the new ways to enjoy our comics with platforms on digital tablets and smart phones, in addition to the print versions, this could not be a more exciting time to become a DC Comics reader! So come back again, this is only Week 2! We’ve only begun…

Eddie Berganza,

Executive Editor

Tags:

All-Star Western, DC Comics-The New 52, deathstroke, Demon Knights, eddie berganza, Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E., green lantern, I, Legion Lost, Mister Terrific, Resurrection Man, suicide squad, Vampire

Who’s Who at DC Comics-The New 52: Jimmy Palmiotti

THE SOURCE: How do you introduce a new hero?

JIMMY PALMIOTTI: Luckily we didn't have to do that with ALL STAR WESTERN, since Jonah has been around before most of the readers were born. How we introduced him to a new audience with All Star Western is we explain and examine the character through another's eyes. This is a simple technique to get the reader into the book from page one and start to open up the universe he inhabits as well.

How do you introduce a new villain?

The best villains are the ones that have a bit of mystery to them and at the same time are driven by what they think is the right things to do, no matter how sick and twisted that may be. The reader must relate to them on some level, otherwise the involvement is limited and no one will care.

What was the first comic you ever worked on?

I inked a book for Eternity comics called NINJA that was pretty crappy, and it paid less than a cheeseburger and fries...but I didn't care. All I ever wanted was to create comics and nothing was going to get in my way, not even a dozen rejection letters...which I keep in a drawer nearby.

Who was the first character you followed?

I think the first real character I picked up was SUPERMAN ...which was probably handed down by my two older brothers. Back then the series didn't have any continuity to follow, just pick up an issue and you are all in.

What was the first series you collected?

Fantastic Four was the first comic I had a complete set ...from issue 1- 125. Later, I sold my issue one for a few hundred dollars and bought a used car, took up girls and forgot about comics for a few years. It happens.

Who was the first writer you followed?

Stan Lee wrote a ton of comics I read, but it wasn't until much later in life I started to notice writers and my favorites were Roy Thomas, Doug Moench, and Denny O‘Neil.

What was the first convention you attended as a fan?

The first real comic con I went to was a Phil Sueling con in the bottom of a hotel in Manhattan. I still remember a pile of artwork on a table that has a sign on top that read "Kirby pages, $15 dollars each.” Where is that damn time machine???

What was the first convention you attended as a professional?

San Diego comic con, 20 years ago in 1991. It blew my mind and was nothing like it is now. Back then, the comics people were the stars.

What was the first comic book you read?

My first comic was probably an Archie comic or a Superman. That was so long ago...I really don't know how anyone remembers that far back. I must have been 5 years old.

What was your first job in the comic book industry?

It was when I was in high school, I was hired by Chic Stone to do the backgrounds on the frank Robbins Invaders comics for Marvel comics...and in that same week hired to do backgrounds on a Don Newton story in a D.C. war comic. It was a wild time.

What was the first piece of original art you bought?

I am pretty sure it was a Master of Kung Fu page by Paul Gulacy. I still own it. It's a treasure.

What was the first digital comic book you downloaded?

That's an easy one, JONAH HEX #1...I was dying to see how it would look on my iPad...and it looked amazing. D.C. has since then put up 24 more issues.

Tags:

All-Star Western, DC Comics-The New 52, jimmy palmiotti

New villains on The Edge

STORMWATCH #3

The Earth vs. The Moon.

GRIFTER #3

Cole vs. his own brother.

DEATHSTROKE #3

Deathstroke vs. Legacy #thenewvillains

O.M.A.C. #3

Kevin Kho is arrested for a crime he didn’t commit.

BLACKHAWKS #3

Who, or what, is Mother Machine?

MEN OF WAR #3

Rock’s unit has been infiltrated...but by what?

ALL-STAR WESTERN #3

Can Jonah Hex survive Gotham’s first drive-by shooting?

Tags:

All-Star Western, Blackhawks, DC Comics-The New 52, deathstroke, Grifter, Men of War, OMAC, Stormwatch

Today’s Designing the New DCU 52 panel at SDCC

During today’s Designing the New DCU 52 panel at SDCC, attendees were invited to see how characters are designed to how they end up looking in the final pages of a comic book. Below, take a look at the art we showed during this presentation for such titles as ALL-STAR WESTERN, ANIMAL MAN, BATGIRL, BIRDS OF PREY, THE FLASH, GREEN ARROW, THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN, I, VAMPIRE, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS, SUICIDE SQUAD, SUPERBOY, SUPERGIRL, SUPERMAN and TEEN TITANS.

[gallery link="file" order="DESC" columns="5"]

Tags:

All-Star Western, animal man, batgirl, birds of prey, DC Comics-The New 52, green arrow, I Vampire, legion of super-heroes, Red Hood and the Outlaws, san diego comic con, suicide squad, superboy, supergirl, Superman, teen titans, the flash, The Savage Hawkman

The Stakes Raise For The Edge

In the second issues of the “Edge” group books, the odds are not in our protagonists’ favor. In DEATHSTROKE, MEN OF WAR and ALL-STAR WESTERN, new villains will be revealed. Grifter and Voodoo are on the run while Stormwatch, the Blackhawks, O.M.A.C. and the Suicide Squad must fight battles that’ll have grave consequences.

STORMWATCH #2

Written by PAUL CORNELL

Art by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA and AL BARRIONUEVO

Art and cover by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA

On sale OCTOBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

The moon is alive! Following the events of SUPERMAN #1 where [TEXT REDACTED], the covert team of sci-fi Super Heroes known as Stormwatch must not only battle the Earth’s moon, but find a way to hide its monstrous metamorphosis from the rest of the Earth! How? Uh, they’re working on it. Meanwhile, the recruitment of Midnighter goes poorly, and we learn why the Martian Manhunter is a member of the team. Written by Paul Cornell (Doctor Who)!

DEATHSTROKE #2

Written by KYLE HIGGINS

Art by JOE BENNETT and ART THIBERT

Cover by SIMON BISLEY

On sale OCTOBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

Deathstroke’s tactical prowess is put to the test when the man who hired him attempts to renege on the contract. Pitted against a salvo of new assassins, including the vicious Road Rage, Slade must take his giant sword to the 405 freeway and proclaim himself the most vicious killer in the city of Angels!

GRIFTER #2

Written by NATHAN EDMONDSON

Art and cover by CAFU and JASON GORDER

On sale OCTOBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The police are looking for him. Government operatives are hunting him down. And Cole Cash can hear the voices of an alien race in his head. Escaping New Orleans will require quick thinking and a violent streak straight out of Cole’s Special Operations background – and just like that, his life will be turned upside down, figuratively as well as literally.

SUICIDE SQUAD #2

Written by ADAM GLASS

Art by FEDERICO DELLOCCHIO and RANSOM GETTY

Cover by RYAN BENJAMIN

On sale OCTOBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

80,000 ordinary people vs. the Squad! Well, they’re not really “people.” Not anymore. With an entire sports stadium on lockdown following the outbreak of an unknown virus, Deadshot, Harley Quinn and the rest of the Squad must sneak past a military perimeter and fight their way through the infected to retrieve... “it.” What is “it”…? Brace yourself for a stomach-churning reveal as the most brutal version of the Suicide Squad soldiers on! Plus: Bring a body bag – it’s the team’s first Squad fatality!

VOODOO #2

Written by RON MARZ

Art and cover by SAMI BASRI

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

Is she a hero? Is she a villain? Voodoo is on the run in the new DC Universe, trying to stay one step ahead of her pursuers, using all of her considerable skills to complete a mission that will put the entire Earth in danger. DC’s sexy, edgy new series goes into overdrive with one of the most unexpected opening scenes ever!

O.M.A.C. #2

Written by DAN DIDIO and KEITH GIFFEN

Art and cover by KEITH GIFFEN and SCOTT KOBLISH

On sale OCTOBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Brother Eye gives Kevin Kho the ground rules to their new “arrangement.” New players are introduced to the game as Sarge Steel and Checkmate begin their hunt for the One Machine Army Corp, but O.M.A.C.’s appearance may be short-lived when he faces the incredible threat of Rocker Bonn, the Amazing Man!

MEN OF WAR #2

Written by IVAN BRANDON and JONATHAN VANKIN

Art by TOM DERENICK and PHIL WINSLADE

Cover by VIKTOR KALVACHEV

On sale OCTOBER 5 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+

In the split second after a heavy-weapons blast the air goes silent and still, just as it does in the ghostly realm of Circe. How will Rock and his team of men – battle-hardened, but still human – survive a villainess who can walk on the very wind?

Plus, Navy Seals Ice and Tracker go where no boots are on the ground, but when their mission is compromised, how will they tell friend from foe?

BLACKHAWKS #2

Written by MIKE COSTA

Art and GRAHAM NOLAN and NORM RAPMUND

Cover by KEN LASHLEY

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

While the Blackhawks deal with a potential public exposure, Lady Blackhawk is keeping dangerous secrets of her own! And the first clues of a vast conspiracy throughout the DC Universe begin to take shape. The action ratchets up for DC’s newest team of high-tech military operatives.

ALL-STAR WESTERN #2

Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI

Art by MORITAT and JORDI BERNET

Cover by MORITAT

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+

What happens when a psychologist and a sociopath have to work together to track down Gotham City’s first serial killer? They’ll soon find that crime in the big city runs deeper than its foundations, and it’s all mapped out in the mysterious Crime Bible – that is, if they don’t kill each other first.

Plus: No zombie is safe in the Wild West when Lazarus Lane summons the demon known as El Diablo!

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